Daily Devotions from The Word Of God… From the heart of Ed Algreen

Archive for the ‘Daily communion with God’ Category

TEXT: 26 I decree that all people everywhere who live under my sovereign rule ought to tremble before and fear the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and He will endure forever. His kingdom will never be overthrown; His reign will know no end.27 He saves and rescues those who fear Him, performing signs and wonders in heaven and on earth; For He has rescued His servant Daniel from the power of the lions.

OBSERVATION: The king declared a decree based on what he saw had happened in Daniel’s life. I wonder if we paused at the end of the day and reflected on our lives – the ups and down, the attitude, the loss of temper, etc, that may have taken place that day, would we have something to celebrate with God, or would we be ashamed of it? What about others, would they have gained wisdom or godly example from us, like the king did of Daniel, or would they stay far enough away from us? Let’s meditate some more on this…

APPLICATION: We might say from time to time how we wish we were like a certain person – one who really stands out in our view, and perhaps excels in an area that we feel so inadequate in. For example, a lady might look at a girl who is so beautiful and shapely, that all of the nice looking guys are hanging all over her. She’s the popular girl at work and in their social circles. A guy might look at the man driving a ferrari and has the money to buy whatever his heart desires, so the girls flock after him. It’s funny how the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence! After considering scenarios like this, I have heard several people say that in spite of their problems, they can’t think of anyone that they would rather trade life with, so they will gladly deal with their own issues, and that is so true. But what about those that you would like to imitate? What about those that you would like to walk alongside for a day, a week or perhaps a year, so that you could learn some of what they know and/or do? In our Scripture today we see an example of a hardened king whose heart was changed because of the faithfulness of a true, earnest and faithful son of the Almighty. Like many of us, the king was accustomed to telling his subjects what they should must do, and if they disobeyed, or took too long getting it done, their life was abruptly ended. However, when Daniel was brought into the picture, King Darius noticed something different about him, much like I would hope that others notice with true followers of Christ today. For Daniel came with his life already under the command of one King, and he was so faithful to that King that he was not about to be redirected against those principles, even to the point, and threat, of death, when commanded by an earthly king. Friends, this man’s faith caused a hardened king to not only recognize the power of the King of all kings to whom Daniel answered, but he went as far as using that experience to command his kingdom to also respect and honor the King/God of Daniel. This stopped me in my tracks, and caused me to question what someone might say at the end of a day that they spent around me. What about you friend? Would there be some traits that your friend(s) might consider adopting? Do you suppose that they saw Jesus at all that day? Would they be drawn towards the God you serve, or would they try with all their power to go in the opposite direction? To each one reading this devotional, may I suggest that you consider this today in the things that you say and in the things you do? Seek God as you start your day and ask Him to give you opportunities to let your light so shine, that others might catch a glimpse of your Master. It’s all about Him, my faithful friend!

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, may Your light so shine through my readers and I today, that those to whom we come into contact with, will react much like King Darius, and not only want to know you, but also want to adopt many of Your commands and characteristics. I believe that as they do, and prove You faithful, they will feel compelled to draw close to You and give You full reign in their lives. May You be recognized and glorified through us today dear Lord, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE:There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Wordand read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you atBible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

TEXT: 8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps; 9 and as Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, went fast asleep and fell three stories to his death below. 10-12 Paul went down and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s all right!” And he was! What a wave of awesome joy swept through the crowd! They all went back upstairs and ate the Lord’s Supper together; then Paul preached another long sermon—so it was dawn when he finally left them!

OBSERVATION:Paul was indeed a special messenger of God. He was about to leave Troas, but wanted to enjoy the Lord’s Supper with the saints there before he left. That service grew into a time of Paul sharing the Word of God, and before they knew it, midnight was upon them, and folk were falling asleep, with particular attention on a young man who was sitting in the window. Of course Eutychus fell from the window after falling asleep, down three floors to his death. God used Paul to revive this young man. I believe that many question today, why won’t He also use us like He did with Paul?

APPLICATION:I believe that the question at the end of my Observation is a good one, why won’t God use us to perform miracles? Let me continue with a deeper self examination, hoping that we can get to the root of the problem: Why won’t God use me to speak the truth of God to my unsaved family members? Why won’t God promote me to a place of recognition by my fellow employees, that I’m a child of the King? Why won’t I testify of His mercy at our midweek or Sunday evening service? Why won’t God reveal Himself to me when I read His Word each day? Why won’t He answer my daily prayers to Him? Why won’t He give me the words to share when I meet friends at the store or restaurant? Why won’t He respond to my need to be prepared before I leave home for worship? Why do I get antsy when the preacher takes our service over the hour mark? Friends, could the answer to any of these questions be that it’s because you never do many of those things and therefore never take time to ask God to bless you in those ways? I know, doing any of these things I mentioned will not save you, right? In all humbleness, may I suggest that if you had a sincere relationship with the King of this universe, you would be asking for most of these things, because you would be so anxious to be in His presence and complying with His perfect will for you. For the child whose parent(s) are still alive, or for the spouse whose partner is still alive, don’t you try every day in every way possible to please them? Won’t you also want to do the same for the Prince of Peace, who sacrificed His life at Calvary just for you, because He wanted to ensure that you have everything you need to enter heaven’s gates to spend eternity with He and His Father? Read more into the Scriptures about Paul, and you will find that he went through immense struggles, and beatings, and jails, and mockeries for his faith in God, yet he stayed strong and unmovable in his faith. God may not be using us in the same way that He used Paul, because He may still not be convinced that we love Him more than anything or anyone in this world, and are willing to sacrifice anything in order to serve Him better, or more. Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you my friend.

PRAYER:Lord Jesus, You are so merciful and wonderful to me, yet I fail You in so many ways. Please forgive me and draw me close to You. My readers and I want to present ourselves as holy sacrifices to You, knowing that we can only do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We need You today Lord. Please guide us unto total Truth and embolden us to be Your witnesses wherever we go. You’re the One that matters oh Lord, and we need You more today than ever before. Into Your hands we commit ourselves anew. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE:There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Wordand read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you atBible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Psalm 143:8–10Today’s Bible Text: Each morning let me learn more about your love because I trust you. I come to you in prayer, asking for your guidance. Please rescue me from my enemies, LORD! I come to you for safety. You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path.The Bible Translation:The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

My Take Away:The Psalms is filled with David’s intimacy with God. Sometimes David was upset at God because things happened that David felt like he could have done them a whole lot better than God, or at least different than He did. David was at times very close to God because it was evident in his writings, but then there were times that David felt like he had distanced himself from God. There are some Psalms that begin with David being very upset at God, and by the end he realizes that his God really is on top of things and has everything under His control. Throughout the book David found many ways to express his love to, and his respect of God, yet in these verses today he is still calling out for God to help him love and trust Him more. David is still asking God for guidance, protection and wisdom on how to best deal with his enemies. David is still surrendering himself to the safety and security of our awesome, strong, caring and loving God, for he reflects on, and feels assured of God’s love and security. Although he has a very intimate, lasting and proven relationship with God, yet David still pleads for direction, leadership and guidance so that he might travel down the right path where he may remain victorious, but true and committed to his God. So what about you friend, are you like me where, too often we tend to do our own thing and only seek God’s help when we run into trouble? Is there a time of daily intimacy with God? Do you carve out time to spend meditating on the Word of God so that you might be reminded of the heart of God and learn about His instructions and direction for you that day? Friends, intimacy with, and trust in God, is not something you can purchase at the local Christian Bookstore, or acquire at church over the weekend if you pay your tithes. This comes ONLY from an intimate two-way relationship with God. Pouring your wants, needs and desires out to God is one thing, but unless you are willing to stop, listen to Him, and obey His commands, then at best you have succeeded in pouring your heart out to Him without caring enough about what He has to say back to you. Intimacy is a two-way thing. May I encourage you today to seek two-way intimacy with God, each and every day? He created us, longs to be allowed to lead us while here on earth, and I believe that He can’t wait to have us in Heaven when we graduate from this earth! Let’s live with the end in mind, knowing that we can enjoy His presence here on earth also!

Prayer:Lord God, thank You for loving us enough to care about our every move, thought or word. For those who have accepted You as Lord, we are living life down here as just a taste of all that You have in store for us as we come to join You in glory! May we live in daily communion with You and may we always be obedient to Your call on our life, and the direction You point us in here on earth. May we love You more, listen to You more and then be totally obedient to all that You direct us in, so that Your glory might be fulfilled in and through us. I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote:If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!